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Nikolas Kehr

Prof. Kimberly Lark

HIST 134

9 December 2018

How The Ancient Forms of Military Are Prevalent Today

The question was asked, “ ​What can I, as an historian of the ancient world, learn and

apply from the history of my ancient ancestors to my own role in contributing to and acting

responsibly for the betterment of society? “. Upon further reflecting at the numerous modules

and articles, one common concept and theme occurred. It was that a civilizations with a strong

military was able to achieve a greater deal of not only land, but noteritity. Athens was a very

prosperous city, it shed a lot of light on technology and further pushed intellectual ways of

thinking, but Greece was able to come out on top with their superior military force. Military is

defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as, “ ​of or relating to soldiers, arms, or war” ( ​Military )​.

War has been key in shaping the world as it is today. Though many societies have taken part in

war and conquering, a few individuals that stood out to me were; King ( Pharaoh ) Narmer,Cyrus

the Great ( Cyrus II ), and the notorious Alexander the Great ( The King of Macedonia ).

Alexander the Great, and for some Cyrus the Great, are familiar when conquering is the

discussion for people looking back on history, but that does not mean that Pharaoh Narmer

should be receiving the cold shoulder. A pharaoh is someone that was a highly regarded king but

also seen as a god like figure. Around 3200 B.C. Pharaoh Narmer and his victorious military

resided in the upper egyptian region. Narmer's goal was to conquer the lower egyption region
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and unite the two kingdoms into one. Narmer’s army fought swiftly and efficiently and he was

able to unite both Kingdoms.

Up next we have a lesser known, but still influential leader. His name was Cyrus the

Great or Cyrus II. Cyrus was also well known as the King of Persia. During his time as king he

was able to conquer a vast majority of neighboring land and raised a well known and feared

group known as the immortals. These were an elite group of fighting soldiers that were very

respected fighting force and played a key part in victories for Persia. The immortals always kept

their population at 10,000 members that were ready for battle at a moments notice ( ​10 Ancient

Empires That Had Tremendous Military Power - Page 4 of 10).​ Cyrus the Great, with gaining

great respect from his battles, also made huge leaps for human rights. He freed enslaved people

from Babylon. Whether its Cyrus II, King of Persia, or Cyrus the Great, he was able to conquer

large amount of land with his impressive military he had at his disposal.

One of the most infamous military leaders in world history is Alexander the Great.

Alexander the great was also synonymous with the King of Macedonia and earned this title

rightfully so. Alexander the Great was able to overcome the spartan military with his powerful

military and cunning military strategies. He then went on to conquer vast amount of land at a

very rapid rate. He went on to defeat and take land from Persia and Egypt which allowed for his

empire to grow substantially ( ​Jarus )​. Alexander the Great is regarded as one of the greatest

military leaders of all time; but a military leader is nothing without the army that serves under

him.

In today’s society we have strayed away from the typical sword and shield combat and

conquering but military is very key with in any country. The United States of America has taken
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all of these leaders advices and turned their military to the best it can be. According to

nationalpriorities.com the United States of America has spent 598.5 billion dollars on their

military as of 2015 (​Military Spending in the United States)​. This figure is very substantial but is

crucial for status and to eliminate the idea of threat from foreign nations. I think society today

has already taken the advice from historical leaders and made their military the best, in order to

get further in the world today. I think that reading about different military leaders helped me

grasp the USA’s methods behind military spending. I also now want to do my part and let others

know why it is so important that we have a strong military like our key history figures. The

power is not everything in a society, a military will get you everything if its large enough.
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Work Cited

“10 Ancient Empires That Had Tremendous Military Power - Page 4 of 10.” ​Ancient Facts​, 4

May 2016, www.ancientfacts.net/10-ancient-empires-tremendous-military-power/4/.

Jarus, Owen. “Alexander the Great: Facts, Biography & Accomplishments.” ​LiveScience,​

Purch, 30 Aug. 2017, www.livescience.com/39997-alexander-the-great.html.

“Military.” ​Merriam-Webster,​ Merriam-Webster,

www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/military.

“Military Spending in the United States.” ​National Priorities Project​,

www.nationalpriorities.org/campaigns/military-spending-united-states/.